I am not one of those women who is an expert at making things. I’m just not very good at it but I do have friends who are and sometimes I do get a teensy bit jealous when they show me a bag or dress or some-such that they’ve made from an old curtain. So … [Read more.]
I have fond memories of doing needlepoint with my grandmother in my youth – yes, I think my cool quotient has gone down a few points with that admission – but I really loved sitting down and completely concentrating on one detailed task. The end results weren’t always perfect but I took great joy in … [Read more.]
Since becoming a mum, I have found myself attempting to master a number of arts and crafts with varying success. I have come to the conclusion that I need a bit of help, particularly in the sewing department!
I’m not crafty and I can’t sew. And until now it’s never bothered me in the least. But after flicking through new book The Crafty Kid by homegrown craft goddess Kelly Doust, I’m suddenly wishing I hadn’t ditched sewing for woodwork back in high school!
My daughters have a play kitchen where they spend hours concocting various dishes from plastic food and baking pretend cakes. But now my five-year-old is becoming more dexterous, we need another way to create make-believe food.
My grandmother had the most amazing button tin when I was growing up, with literally hundreds and hundreds of buttons in all shapes and sizes that must have taken her years to collect. She had plain buttons and fancy buttons, buttons made from wood, buttons made from pearl, bone buttons, glass buttons, buttons shaped like … [Read more.]
Here are some more of our favourite picks from today at Kids Instyle. I have also updated the opening night post with information about each brand. The toys at Earth Tribe are gorgeous. All toys are hand made and crafted by tribes and communities around the world. One of my all-time favourite products, the Milkdot … [Read more.]
In my next life I’m going to knit. My grandmother taught me the basics when I was younger but I confess I never had the patience to persevere with a knitting project beyond the obligatory scarf (and even then, mine was more of a cravat). But it is a skill that I really admire and … [Read more.]
Once upon a time, YoYo Dolls were regularly given to newborn babies as gifts. Tenderly hand made by friends and relatives, they were made from scraps of fabric and were the ideal shape and texture for young babies to grasp. It speaks volumes that as I near my 34th birthday, I have never seen one … [Read more.]
Just what I need – a store stocked with an amazing selection of the world’s best fabrics. Prints to die for, plus the most perfect online search function, add to the pleasure of shopping at Bee Square Fabrics’. Search by fabric collection, colour, print style and/or designer. And you’re also offered co-ordinating fabrics for the … [Read more.]
There’s something heading our way from China this week that has everyone at Babyology cheering like crazy. And it’s not the Beijing Olympics. It’s this range of adorably kitsch goodies by Dumpling Dynasty that we discovered at the kids inSTYLE trade show in Melbourne last week. Brit designers Fiona Hewitt and Andy Tainton channelled … [Read more.]
A stand out concept at the show was Sew Your Own, created by Angela White in 2007. Angela is a third-generation crafter who makes quirky and unique craft kits full of special little details. They come with simple illustrated instructions and gorgeous designer prints that will appeal to your kids as well as adults. Angela … [Read more.]